Warning signal for railway crossings



Feb. 20, 1934. SLAWSON 7 1,947,925

WARNING SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS Filed Jan. 51, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet1 I N VEN TOR. $742101? 6. SZawsom,

A TTORNEYJ M. G. SLAWSON WARNING SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS Filed Jan.31, 1931 Feb. 20, 1934.

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Patented Feb. 20, 1934 WARNING SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS Marion G.Slawson, Girard, Kans.

Application January 31, 1931. Serial No. 512,674

4 Claims. (01. 177-329) This invention relates to railway crossingwarning signals of the character of those shown in my co-pendingapplications:

Serial No. 445,372, filed April 18, 1930 and Serial No. 487,582, filedOctober 9, 1930.

The aforesaid applications disclose structures constituting railwaycrossing warning signals of such a distinctive nature as to compel theattention of motorists and others approaching the crossing, to the endthat the serious accidents of the character of those that have sofrequently occurred at railway crossings may be eliminated. Broadlystated these signals comprise a readable sign movable to and fromindicating position a plurality of times upon the approach of a train,the said sign being moved to non-readable position when the train leavesthe block after having crossed the crossing.

Further, additional visual and audible signals such as flashing redlights and a bell or siren are employed in conjunction with the readablesign the whole being so co-related, arranged and controlled as toproduce a signal of an extremely compelling andattention arresting typeand wherein any failure of the current supply will result in thereadable sign being moved to stop position. It is a primary object ofthe present invention to provide an improved type of mechanism by virtueof which all of the aforesaid objects may be carried out in an extremelysimple, reliable and economical manner.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view illustrating the various connections;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the operating mechanism of the panelshereinafter described;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a circuit making and breaking disc;

Fig. 6 is an edge elevation of said disc and associated contact makingand breaking elements;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a hold clear coil, hereinafter described;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating a modified form of theinvention; and

Fig. 9 is a view of a circuit making and breaking element hereinafterdescribed.

Referring to the drawings, 5 -designates any suitable support such as apost 5 upon which a casing 6 is mounted. This casing comprises a lowerbox-like casing 7 and an upper housing 8. The casing 7 may serve toreceive an electric motor 9 which, through suitable reducing gearing ofa conventional type, the casing of which is indicated at 10, impartsrotation to a contact making and breaking disc 11 that is casing maysupport a conventional railway crossing signal 12 and the sides of thehousing '7 may be utilized to support the red lamps 13 and 14,hereinafter described. Depending from the under side of the housing 8into the open space 15 of the casing, are the letter bearing panels 16which, in the present instance, bear letters which complementally formthe word t p cal shafts 17 to which a quarter turn may be imparted bythe end-wise movement of an actuating bar 18, said bar being providedwith rack sections 19 which are engaged with the teeth of gear segments20 that are fast upon the upper ends of the shafts 1'7. Thus, when thebar 18 is moved in one direction, the fiat sides ofthe panels will bedisposed toward the front of the casing to present the word stop andwhen the bar is moved in the other direction, the edges of the panelswill be presented toward the front of the casing and the word stop willdisappear. White lights 21 are disposed within the housing 8 in aposition to illuminate the panels when in reading position and a hood 8constituting a part of said housing is disposed to protect the panelsfrom the weather. In addition, the under side of the hood 8 may bepainted white or otherwise formed to reflect light downwardly upon thepanels and aid in illuminating the same. The letters upon the panelsmaybe outlined in luminous paint, the

remainder of said panels being painted a dark color or the reverse maybe the case.- That is to say, the letters may be painted in a dark colorand the remainder of the panels be painted with luminous paint, so thatsaid signs may still be visible at night, even though the currentsupplied to the lamps 21 should fail. p

The bar 18 is actuated in the direction indicated by the arrow A by asolenoid magnet 22 which acts upon a metallic section 23 of said bar,the bar being actuated in the opposite direction by a compression spring24 which bears between a fixed abutment 25 and a washer or like element26 upon the bar.

Referring to Fig. 6, it will be seen, that the disc 11 comprises aplurality of cams. One group of these cams consists of raised portions27 and 28 upon the upper and lower faces of These panels are carried bythe verti- 7 best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The top of the the discrespectively. The cams 27 upon the upper face of the disc act through aplunger 29 of insulating material to bring a contact strip 30 intoengagement with a contact strip 31 to thereby complete a circuit to thered lamp 13, the cams 28 serving the same purpose through plunger 2%,with respect to contact strips 32 and 33 to complete a circuit to thered lamp 14. A cam 34 upon the periphery of the disc 11 acts throughplunger 35 to move .a contact strip 36 into engagement with a contactstrip 37, to thereby complete a circuit to a bell, siren or otheraudible signal, indicated in the dia gramznatic i at 38. Cams39 and 39upon the opposite faces of the disc respectively, act through plungers40 and 41 to move contact strips 42 and 43 into engagement with contactstrips 44 and 45 to complete electric circuits, one of which constitutesthe circuit to the solenoid magnet 22 and the other of which may beutilized to energize the additional solenoid magnet illustrated in themodified form of the invention shown in Fig. 8. The upper end of one ofthe panel shafts carries a pin 46 which, when the panels have been movedto readable position, brings about engagement between contact strips 48and 4.9 to complete a circuit to the white lights 21. Referring, now, tothe diagrammatic view, Fig. 1, 50 and 51 designate the rails of arailway track which are insulated from each other, the presence or atrain therein completing a circuit through conductors 52 and 53 toenergize a magnet 54 of a relay. The armature 55 of this relay isactuated in one direction by a 35 spring 56 and in the other directionby the magnet. When the armature is attracted by the magnet it connectsthe contact points 57 and 58 and when it is moved in the oppositedirection by the spring 56 it connects the contact points 59 and 60. Theconnecting of 57 and 58 results in energizing the solenoid magnet 22through conductors 61, 80, contacts 43 and 45, conductors 62, 63, 64,65, local battery 66, conductors 67. and 68. Included in this circuit,as stated, is the making and breaking device consisting of the contactstrips 43 and 45 which are controlled by the movement of disc 11. When43 and 45 are in contact, the circuit is completed from battery 66through 65, 64, 63, 22, 62, 45, 43, wire 4311 (Fig. 6) to common returnWire 80. Energization of the magnet 22 results inmoving the bar 18 tothe right, as previously described, to move the panels to clear position, where they are held until the magnet is deenergized undercontinued rotation of disc 11, whereupon spring 24 moves the bar to stopposition. During this rotation of the disc, which continues as long as atrain is in the block, the red lights 13 and 14 will be flashed by thealternate making and breaking of the circuits controlled by the elements30, 31, 32 and 33, the circuits through these lamps being through theindividual feed wires 69 and 70 which lead to the lights 13 and 14respectively, the circuit being completed through conductors 64, 65,battery 66, conductor 67 and conductors 61 and Y86, back to the contactelements 36 and 33, (see Fig. 6). The circuit to the white lightsmayconsist of. conductors 81 and 82 in which is included the circuitmaking and breaking elements consistin of pin 4", contact strip 49 andcontact 48. The circuit to the siren, hell or other audible signal mayconsist of a conductor 83, leading from conductor 67 conductor 84,leading to contact 37 and t e e throu h (1 tact 36 and conductors 64 and65 back to the other side of the battery 66. Thus, as long as thecontacts 36 and 37 are closed (see Fig. 6) the audible signal will soundand it will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 5 that the cam 34 isof such length that the signal will sound through approximately one-halfof the revolution of disc 11.

Simple and efiicient means are provided for insuring that in the eventof the failure of any of the connections or of the current from thebattery 66, the sign will be automatically moved to stop position. Thesemeans comprise a hold clear coil 85, current to which from battery 661sthrough conductor 65, a conductor 86, conductor 87 leading to contact59, thence through armature 55, contact 66 and conductor 67 back to thebattery. The magnet 85 energizes a horse-shoe core 88 one leg of whichextends through the bar 18 andthe other end of which is slightlyshorter, these two ends complementally drawing the nose of a latch 89into a recess 90 or" bar 18, said latch being pivoted at 91. It isevident that current will flow from the battery through 67, 68 contactpoints 58 and 57, 95, through contact points 94 and 92, 93 and 87 toenergize coil 85, then through 86 and 65 back to the battery.

' This coil 85 will only be energized when points 92 and94 are incontact and this will be when Under this arrangement there is nopossibility of the point on latch 89 being drawn in to notch 90 whencurrent is flowing through points 57 and 58. The operation of this partof the structure is as follows:

As long as the armature 55 is being attracted 1 by magnet 54 thesolenoid 22 is energized through the connections described by thebridging of the contacts 57 and 58. This moves bar 13 in the directionindicated by the arrow A against the tension of spring 24 to bring the iletter bearing panels to clear position. If the passage of the trainfrom the block should result in de-energizing magnet 22 before the barhas completed its movement to clear position,

the auxiliary circuit described, in which contacts contacts 59 and 66are located to energize magnet 85 and draw the nose of latch 89 intorecess to thereby latch and hold said bar in clear position and againstthe tendency of spring 24 to move the bar to stop position, and thisaction will continue as long as magnet 85 is 4 energized. However, ifthere should be a fail- :5,

ure of the current from battery 66, magnet 85 will .be de-energized andthen the thrust of the spring .24 against the slightly beveled nose oflatch 89 will rcsult'in forcing said nose out of recess 90 and thespring 24 will act to auto- 1;

matically move bar 18 to stop position.

In the form of th invention illustrated, in Fig. 8, an additionalsolenoid magnet 22 acts to move the bar in a direction opposite to thatin Which it is moved by the solenoid 22, this solenoid magnet beingsubstituted for the spring 24, and as before stated, the contacts 42 and44 are utilized to control the current to this additional solenoidmagnet in the manner previously described with respect to contacts 43and 45 in their relation to solenoid 22, it being apparent from aninspection of Fig. 6 that when 42 is closed 43 is open and vice versa.It will, of course, be apparent that an ordinary magnet would be theequivalent of the solenoid magnet for attracting the bar and the claimsare to be construed in that light.

Lenses 14 are disposed in the sides of thelamps 13 and 14 and indicateto an approaching train crew whether or not the signal is in operation.These lenses are preferably white. It will be observed that the wordLook together with arrows is formed upon the sides of the upper housing8 and the lenses and arrows are preferably studded with reflex buttonssuch as are commonly employed for reflecting light from automobile headlights and these buttons may, if desired, be lighted by the white lights21 in upper housing 8. From the foregoing description it will be seenthat very simple and efiicient means are herein provided for carryingout the objects of the invention. However, it will be readily understoodthat many ways will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in theart of re-arranging and re-locating the parts, consequently, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the precise constructionset forth, but that it includes within its purview whatever changesfairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. In a device of thecharacter described, the combination with a readable sign comprising aplurality of oscillating letter bearing panels, a longitudinallyreciprocatory bar, connections between the bar and the panels wherebyendwise movement of the bar moves said panels through angles of 90 only,a solenoid magnet for moving said bar in one direction to move saidpanels to clear position, a latch adjacent the bar but separatetherefrom and adapted when engaged with said bar to lock the same inclear position, a magnet mounted upon and movable with the bar intolatch attracting position and serving when in such position to attractthe latch and cause it to engage said bar, a motor, a circuit making andbreaking disc operated by said motor, circuit making and breakingelements controlling the solenoid magnet operated by said disc, a relaycomprising an armature, a motor circuit relay contacts in the motorcircuit closed by said armature when said armature is in one position, acircuit in which the latch attracting magnet is included, a second motorcircuit, a circuit making and breaking device in the second motorcircuit, means carried by the reciprocatory bar for opening the lastnamed circuit making and breaking device upon completion of the movementof the reciprocatory bar to clear position, relay contacts in the secondnamed motor circuit and the circuit of the latch attracting magnet, saidcontacts being closed by the movement of the armature of the relay to asecond position and in which said second position the first named motorcircuit is broken by the movement of said relay armature.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with areadable sign comprising a plurality of oscillating letter bearingpanels, of a longitudinally reciprocatory bar, connections between thebar and the panels whereby endwise movement of the bar moves said panelsthrough angles of 90 only to thereby move the panels from fiat toedge-wise position, electrical actuating means for said bar, a circuitin which said electrical actuating means is included, circuit making andbreaking means for said circuit including a rotary disc, a motor foroperating said disc, a main motor circuit, a relay, the armature ofwhich, carries relay contacts which close the main motor circuit whensaid armature is attracted, an auxiliary motor circuit, means carried bythe armature for completing the latter circuit by the movement of thearmature of the relay to non-attracted position, mechanical means formoving said relay armature to non-attracted position means operableunder the influence of the movement of the reciprocatory bar forinterrupting the auxiliary motor circuit at the limit of movement ofsaid bar in one direction, electrically operated latching means forlatching the said bar in clear edge-wise position, a circuit in whichthe said latching means is included, and means for closing the lattercircuit upon movement of the relay armature to non-attracted position.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with areadable sign comprising a plurality of letter bearing panels, of alongitudinally reciprocatory bar, connections between the bar and thepanels whereby endwise movement of the bar moves said panels throughangles of 90 only, an electrical actuating means forsaid bar, a circuitfor said actuating means, circuit making and breaking means for saidcircuit including a rotative disc, a motor for turning said disc, a mainmotor circuit for said motor, a relay having an armature, relay contactscarried by the armature which when in attracted position close the saidmain motor circuit, a hold clear latch mechanism including a magnet,spring means tending to move said bar in such direction as to move thepanels to stop position, an electrical circuit in which said magnet isincluded and means carried by the armature relay for closing thelattercircuit when the armature of the relay is in non-attracted position.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with areadable design comprising a plurality of letter bearing panels, of alongitudinally reciprocatory bar, connections between the bar and thepanels whereby endwise movement of the bar moves said panels throughangles of 90 only, electrical means for moving said bar in suchdirection as to more said panels to clear position, an electric circuitin which said electrical operating means of the bar is included, a motoroperated circuit making and breaking means for said circuit, a mainmotor circuit in which said motor is included, a relay comprising anarmature and relay contacts carried thereby which when in attractedposition complete the main motor circuit, means tending to move said barin such direction as to move the panels to stop position, anelectrically operated latch mechanism including a magnet for holdingsaid bar against the action of the last a named means, and a circuit inwhich said magnet is included, the armature of the relay carrying relaycontacts for completing the latter circuit when the armature of therelay is in nonattracted position. MARION G. SLAWSON.

